Magic Man, Night Terrors of 1927, Prides

[SYNTH POP] Having a single peak at No. 33 on the Alternative charts is a feat on its own, especially when the rest of your album has the potential to follow suit. Magic Man’s debut, Before the Waves, starts with the distant plucking of electric guitar, but before long, a barrage of Passion Pit-like synths soon follow. Though the opening track sets the pop-friendly tone for the entirety of what follows, it never shies away from the core sound established with the aforementioned chart hit, “Paris.” It’s an album teeming with Top 40 familiarity, from the gauzy synths and jangly guitars to stadium-sized choruses highlighted by founding member Alex Caplow’s breathy tenor. It’s lovelorn and twee—but the catchiest songs often are.